Breaking Free
by Venomous Angel 75
Summary: A chance encounter and a lost phone result in changing everything Nick Munroe has known about himself. Can he handle being his true self? Fax. Note: Strong language.
1. Drunken Midterms and Cell Phones

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe. So, I have decided to completely rewrite this story because it isn't going where I wanted. Much will be similar or even the same, but I need to make adjustments to create the story I originally intended. Thank you for your patience. Much Love!**

Nick woke on the morning of his genetics midterm with a pounding headache, a queasy stomach and nothing on but his boxers and a tie around his forehead. He also held an empty handle of Cuervo in one hand and the other was encased in his left shoe. Jason was going to go to hell and Nick was going to make sure of it.

His heart almost stopped as he realized that it was the morning of his genetics midterm and after checking the clock, he felt even worse than before. His exam began in exactly ten minutes. He scrambled around the room, thankfully finding all of his clothes with all of his personal belongings still in them. He checked his phone, ignoring the messages from Lissa and cursed loudly, causing distress to both himself and the various other hung-over denizens of the living room in which he had woken. Nine minutes left.

He dashed outside, hissing as the sunlight burned his retinas and immediately emptied his stomach into the bushes next to the walkway. Oh, what a beautiful day, he thought darkly as he raced across the quad to the science building. He had to be nearly incapacitated on the day of the hardest midterm he had to take. Yeah, life was great.

Finally, he could see the doors of the lecture hall and he pulled out his phone. Two minutes to go. He intended to run into the doors, knowing they opened inward and would give under the impact, but instead they opened for him and he slammed into someone coming out.

He got a flash of blonde hair and the sensation of a soft body under his before he rolled to the side so as not to crush the woman he had just tackled. He staggered to his feet and yanked her up with a very hurried apology. No time to waste.

"Hey," she called after him as he rounded the corner, but he didn't stop. He would try to find her later to make up for practically killing her.

He burst through the doors and dropped into the first available seat. He ignored the stares of the other students as he tried to calm his breathing and keep from puking. He glanced at the clock. Right on time.

A packet of paper and a pencil case hit his desk. "I guess you weren't kidding when you asked me to keep this just in case. Congratulations on making it."

Nick grunted. "You don't know me very well then, Batchelder."

Professor Jeb Batchelder grinned. "I know you better than you think, Munroe." He raised his voice to the rest of the class. "All right, people. Two hours starts NOW." He glanced at Nick with an odd expression, which the boy didn't see because he was already involved in the exam. Then he headed back to his desk to keep an eye on the more suspicious characters of the class.

One hour and fifty-eight minutes later, Nick dropped his pencil and sauntered up to Jeb's desk to drop off the exam.

"What did you think, Munroe?" The professor asked.

"I didn't," Nick said. "It kicked my ass. I hope you're pleased with yourself."

Jeb shrugged. "As a matter of fact, I am. Now go home and rest up. You look like crap."

Nick rolled his eyes and waved. "Later." He scooped up his pencil case on the way out. As he reached the main doors of the hall, he reached for his phone. And came up with nothing.

Some guy standing near the doors had his phone in his hand, so Nick asked if he could borrow it. The guy handed it over and Nick quickly dialed his own number.

After two rings, someone answered. "Hello?" Someone female.

"Hi, yeah, um. This is my phone. I'm Nick Munroe. Any chance I can have it back?" Nick said.

There was a pause. "I guess, but I am looking for some compensation." She sounded attractive. Something about her voice made him want to listen to her.

"Compensation?"

"Yeah. You totally sacked me like I tried to run off with your girlfriend's purse. Gave me a fucking awful headache. You owe me more than a few rushed words. How about dinner?" she said.

Nick blinked in surprise. She wanted dinner? Lissa would not like that. "Um, I don't know how my girlfriend would feel about that."

She laughed. "I figured. She doesn't seem like the laid back type. Thought I'd try for some free food. Can I just bring your phone by your place later? I'm kinda booked most of today, but I can swing by around nine."

"Sure, I guess." He gave her his address. "I'll see you around then. Wait, what's -" The line went dead. He handed they guy his phone back. He would discover her name later. "Thanks, man. Can't live without my phone, you know?"

The guy nodded.

Nick took off, anxious to get home and sleep off his hangover. He walked back to the house much slower than he had left. He fished his keys out of his pocket and slid into the driver's seat of his car with quiet relief. Just a few more minutes and he would be home.

Ten minutes later, he twisted open the lock of his top floor apartment and stepped into the coolness of his living room. Faint sunlight filtered through his blinds, but not enough to make him uncomfortable. He immediately took five Motrin, downed a large water bottle and passed out on his couch.

He felt as though he had just closed his eyes when a loud pounding made him open them again. He glanced blearily at his DVD player to check the time. 8:43 PM.

"Hey, Nick Munroe! I've got your phone for you. You have to answer the door if you want it back," a woman called through his door.

Nick growled and rolled off the couch. "Coming," he called. He flipped all the locks, jerked open the door and froze. The woman standing there had not at all been what he expected. For one, she was tall, tall enough that her eyes were on level with his chin. And she was very attractive. Dark green eyes glittered with intelligence and amusement from beneath fashionably side-swept aurulent bangs as she took him in. Her mouth hung slightly open and he just barely suppressed the urge to help her close it with his own mouth. He loved the Rolling Stones t-shirt she wore and the dark jeans that seemed painted on her slender frame. He closed his eyes, trying to regain his sanity. He had never reacted to a woman like this. He was not some horny teenager. He was twenty two and about to graduate college. He was responsible. He was fricking hot for her. Shit.

"Hey," she said. She held up his phone in her left hand. "I, um, have your phone. Are you okay?"

Nick shook his head to clear it. "Yeah, just a little hungover." He rubbed his hand through his hair. "Wanna come in?" He stepped back to allow her inside.

She glanced behind her. "I'd like to, but I have to be somewhere. Here." She slapped the phone in his hand. Her fingers lingered on his wrist. "I'm Max, by the way. And , uh, if you ever change your mind about the dinner, I put my number in. Just in case." She smiled. "See you later, Nick Munroe."

"Bye," he mumbled, like an idiot. She waved, and just above the bangle on her wrist, he caught sight of a dark, puckered slash. For some reason, the sight caused an odd feeling of fear to rise in his stomach. Fighting it down, he closed the door and stared at his phone.

"Max…"


	2. Reflections on Scars and Chinese Food

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe. And here is my rewrite for the second chapter. The chapters will be a little shorter, but this way it's easier for me to turn out chapters faster. Much Love!**

The scalding heat of the shower helped Nick clear his head, somewhat. Max had gone thirty minutes ago and he still couldn't stop thinking about her. His gut told him that she was important, that they were connected in some way, but his head denied everything. It wasn't logical. There was absolutely no reason that she should stick in his head like this. Except for her eyes. They seemed so unusual in how they sparkled. Lissa had green eyes, too, but hers seemed dull in comparison. If he was perfectly honest with himself, hers lacked intelligence as well.

He closed his eyes and let the water sluice over him, running down his body in a continuous sheet. God, it felt so good. If he thought hard enough, he could almost imagine what it would be like if she were still here, if she joined him. Her skin would be soft, smooth, but there would be scars. Somehow he knew that. Just like the one on her wrist. He wanted to kiss every one that marred her skin, as if doing so would erase the pain they must have caused her. He wanted her to do the same to him.

He touched the four parallel stripes that spanned his side, reminders of the night his parents had died, the night he had almost died with them. They were by far the worst of his scars.

The medical team had told him he was the luckiest kid they had ever seen. He had been fourteen when his dad had lost control of the car and crashed. His parents had been trapped in the vehicle. Nick himself had been thrown from the car and landed on a security fence that sat just a little way down the slope on which the car had crashed. The sharp spikes adorning the top of the bars caught him in the side as he flew over them. One inch higher and they wouldn't have sunk into his side and ripped him open. His skin hadn't been thick enough take his weight.

He remembered lying on the ground, feeling each pump of his heart that spilled his blood onto the dirt and watching as the car that held his parents exploded. He heard their screams as they burned alive. They screamed for him.

Nick shut the water off. He did not feel like a trip down memory lane. He was going to finish off the last of the Chinese food in the refrigerator and get some studying done. That would keep him occupied.

He pulled on some boxers and made his way into the living room. Turning on the TV for background noise, he strolled into the kitchen and threw his last carton of chow mien into the microwave. While anticipating the much needed food, he tossed his backpack on the table and pulled out his Renaissance Art textbook. He didn't need to study it much, but going over the concepts again couldn't hurt. Tomorrow would not be another repeat of today. That was for sure.

Just as the microwave went off, so did his phone. He glanced at the caller ID, making a face as he saw it was Lissa. He answered anyway. "Hey."

"Hey, baby. How did your midterm go?" she asked, her voice practically dripping sugar. Usually, he didn't care. Today, it made him sick.

"Shitty. I was hungover as fuck. I'm going to kill Jason the next time I see him." Nick fought nausea as he bit into the noodles. He had to remind himself that eating was a good thing. He would feel better afterwards. He had to.

She huffed. "You're just pissed that he finally got you past your limit. Don't be such a baby."

Nick clenched his jaw. What had he seen in her? They had gone through high school together and hooked up just as senior year ended. They ended up at the same college and had been dating since. She was rather attractive her self, but she had been the only girl he could stand to be around for more that ten minutes. Now, she seemed just like the rest of them. Shallow, vapid, unable to hold a serious conversation. Ugh.

"Can you believe that?" she asked.

Nick belatedly realized that she had been talking as he spaced out. "Um, no."

"I know, me neither. It's just so – "

Nick tuned her out again. Skating through conversations like this were okay to do with strangers, but a significant other? Not so much. He took another determined bite of the chow mien. It was going to taste good soon. He "uh-huh" and "yeah" –ed his way through the rest of her spiel before giving up. "Hey, I don't feel too good, Lissa. I'm gonna make it an early night. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? We'll go out. I have something I need to talk to you about anyway."

"Okay, baby. Sounds good to me," she said. "I'll see you then. Love you."

He snapped his phone shut. Breaking up with her was not going to be fun, but he couldn't deny the truth any longer. She just wasn't right for him. An image of Max smiling up at him clouded his vision. What was this hold she had on him? The same questions kept popping up, but that didn't mean he had any answers for them. His thoughts drifted back to the scar on her wrist. He frowned. He could smell the ocean, the salt of her tears, her blood. He felt fear, anger, confusion, a sense of helplessness. _Just wanted the chip out_.

"What?" he said aloud. He opened his eyes, wondering when he had closed them. He couldn't smell the ocean anymore.

He jumped as his phone rang again. "What?" he snapped.

"Well, somebody's a grumpy pants," Jason said on the other end of the line. "Does the grumpy pants need a hug?"

Nick grinned in spite of himself. "Well, who's fault is it that I'm not in the highest of spirits, hmm? That would be you." He could practically hear Jason grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"And a wonderful night it was," Jason said. He laughed. "Although, I can't say I want to see you so exposed again. You're just not my type."

"Just cause you're jealous…In any case, I'm going to fucking kill you, you fuck. There is a reason I don't get as stupid drunk as the rest of you. Not to mention, I had my genetics midterm today, which I am sure I told you about," Nick said darkly.

Jason cursed, then he giggled. "Whatever. You know you totally aced it, being a genius and all."

"There is nothing genius about me. I just do the work. You might have the same results if you showed up to class. You never know until you try." Nick swallowed the last of the Chinese food in relief. Soon his stomach would settle and then he could get a real meal. Maybe tomorrow.

"So, did you have fun last night?" Jason asked. "I hope you appreciate the effort and money and time it took to get you that inebriated. There is no reason you should hold your liquor as well as you do."

"I don't know. I don't remember," Nick growled. Fuck the party scene, or rather, the alcohol requirement of the party scene. It caused way too much trouble.

"Then you had a good time."

"I'm breaking up with Lissa." Nick grimaced at his abruptness and complete lack of segue, but he needed to tell someone before he backed out. He didn't think he was going to, but to have another's expectation of the separation made it certain.

Jason was quiet for a while. "For real? You're giving the boot to the prom queen?"

"Yeah. That' the problem. She's still the prom queen," Nick said.

"Hallelujah! Congratulations, man. It's about time. She was so wrong for you," Jason said. "Welcome to the singles club."

Nick tossed the food carton into the trash and the fork into the sink. "Actually, I think I may have met someone."

Jason choked. "You don't waste any time."

Nick glanced at his books, spread out on the table. He felt the urge to laugh. "No, I don't. I have to go. I do have two more exams tomorrow. I'll catch you at Rino's around nine, okay?"

"Sounds good. See you then."

Nick tossed his phone on the couch. He was going to pass out. There was no way studying would get done. No reason to fight it. He shut off all the lights and fell into bed, hoping a certain blonde would make an appearance. He could use some good dreams tonight.


	3. The Queen is Dead

Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe. Thanks for all your support. I hope you like the new direction. Much Love!**

The next afternoon, Nick sat in the best of the three campus cafes sipping a macchiato and enjoying how much better today was going than yesterday. The rest of his midterms had been a breeze and he was feeling good. And tonight he would be free. That sounded good.

Jason had called earlier all excited that his parents were allowing him to have a party at his family's cabin. Nick was sure that no good would come of it, but he agreed to come anyway. People tended to keep the peace when he was around.

He checked the clock. Almost time to meet Lissa. He just wanted to do it and get out. She was certain to make a scene. She always did. He drained the rest of his cup and tossed it in the trash on the way outside. As he walked to meet her, he pondered the dream he had the night before.

Max had been in it. He remembered that much. She looked young, scruffy, tough. Her hair was cut above her shoulders and streaked with pink. She had wings. So, had he. He could remember the feeling of them stretching out from his back, catching the wind to lift him high above the ground. Nothing he had felt in his life had ever felt like that. He closed his eyes, trying to recapture the sensation.

"Hey, baby! Miss me?"

His eyes snapped open and he just caught himself before he punched her in the face. He hated it when she did that. He had to do it now. No sense in delaying the inevitable.

"Um, not really. How was the exam?" He said.

"Fine. I'm glad it'd over," she said.

Nick steeled himself. "Lissa, I need to talk to you."

She opened her eyes wide, looking at him expectantly. "Yeah? What about?"

"I want to break up."

She laughed. "Excuse me? What is this, April Fool's? It's still the middle of March."

His expression didn't change. He just gazed at her levelly until she seemed to grasp the idea that he was serious.

"This isn't funny, Nick. Four years is too long to break up. You should be proposing," she snapped. Her face flushed and her shoulders shook.

Nick remained impassive. "Did you really think we were going to get married and spend the rest of our lives together?"

She raked her nails through her hair. "After four years? Yeah, maybe I did. That's a long time and you never gave any indication that you were even the slightest bit unhappy. I would have done something about it if I had known. You're not even going to give me a chance to fix it?"

The angry tears in her eyes made him feel a little uncomfortable, but breaking up was the best thing for both of them. "There's nothing you can do to fix us. I haven't been unhappy. I've just been neutral. That's not good enough for me anymore. That's not good enough for you, either. Find someone who can appreciate you better than I can." Nick stuffed his hands in his pockets. He would find someone, too.

Lissa sniffed. "There's someone else, isn't there? You've met someone else and you've been cheating on me! You bastard!" She moved to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Don't ever attempt to hit me, Lissa," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "I will hit back." He released her with a little push. "I think you've known me long enough to know that I wouldn't cheat on you, but if that helps you get over this, then fine. Take care, okay?" He left her standing in the quad, reluctant to drag it out any longer. He didn't want his whole day to suck.

"Fuck you!" she shrieked at his back.

Nick kept walking. There was nothing more he could do. So, he pulled out his phone and called Jason.

"What up, bro?" Jason answered.

"The queen is dead," Nick said. He slid on his sunglasses and got in his car. "And she is cursing my name."

Jason was quiet for a second. "Props, dude. That's rough. Well, good thing I'm having a party tonight to lift your spirits. Hella peoples is coming. Maybe your mystery girl."

Nick felt better at the thought of Max. Maybe he would see her tonight. Maybe he would take her up on that dinner invite. "Want me to come out now? I don't have anything to do."

"Only if you bring me food."

"What are we, dating?" Nick said.

Jason pondered a moment. "Now that you're single, there's something I've been meaning…"

"What do you want?" Nick stifled his laughter. Jason was sick.

"Double double meal from Rino's?"

"Fine. I'll be up soon. Pull out a bottle of that one vintage for me," Nick said.

"Will do," Jason replied. "See you."

Nick turned into the Rino's parking lot and called their to go number. He placed an order and sat outside until Mandy, his friend that also happened to be a waitress at the best moderately priced restaurant in town, brought it out.

"Hey, Mandy," he said, handing her a five as tip.

"What's up, Nick? How'd midterms go?" She was a cute little brunette that had been assigned to be his study partner in their freshman ethics class. Somehow they had at least one class a semester together since. Her boyfriend had proposed last month.

He shrugged. "The usual."

"So, perfect?" she said with a touch of bitterness. "You suck. Going to Jason's tonight?"

He nodded. "Yeah, heading up right now to unwind. I just broke up with Lissa."

Mandy gasped, her light brown eyes opening wide. "For real? What happened?" She glanced back inside, but stuck around to hear the scoop.

"Just didn't feel right anymore. Too much drama, you know?" Nick said. "Anyway, I have to go. I'll catch you later tonight? Zeke, too?"

Mandy nodded. "Yep. Good luck if she shows up. I'm turning my phone off. I do not feel like dealing with her tonight." She waved and headed back inside.

Nick pulled out one burger and bit into it. He was starving. Jason's party would be a good opportunity for him to relax.

Lightly crowded town streets gave way to sparsely populated forest road. Nick enjoyed the drive to Jason's cabin, which was actually more of a mansion. Jason's parents were loaded and they didn't mind sharing the wealth. Nick had spent many a school holiday with Jason and his family, considering his own was unavailable.

He was so lost in thinking that he didn't notice the person standing in the middle of the road until it was almost too late. All he saw was red hair and a white something. Nick slammed on the brakes and jerked the wheel, sending the car into a mini spin. When the car stopped, he jumped out, ready to beat down the idiot that had caused him to freak out. The kid was gone.

Nick cursed. What the fuck had that been? He shook his head, trying to recall how the kid had looked, just in case he saw him later. Something about that brief glance hadn't been right, but he couldn't identify what. Instead of thinking about it too hard, he got back in his car. This was not his best day.


	4. King's Cup and Confrontations

Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe. Thanks for all your support. I hope you like the new direction. Much Love!**

Nick spent the rest of his afternoon and evening ensconced in the theatre room in the basement. He, Jason and Abby, Jason's new girlfriend, watched half a season of _24_ and drank their way through four bottles of Jason's parents' ridiculous wine collection. Nick blamed them for his particular taste in alcohol. They had tried to educate him just as they had Jason. Their efforts had paid off with him. Jason didn't care what he drank, as long as it impaired his judgment.

Only when the clocked beeped out the hours for midnight did Nick crawl out of the basement. The party was in full swing with half the school in attendance. Nick squeezed his way through the halls, saying hello to people he knew and avoiding the groping of several drunk women.

The walls of the main parlor vibrated with the beat of the latest radio hit. As Nick passed the door, a pretty brunette grabbed his hand and dragged him into the middle of the makeshift dance floor. Since he had nowhere special to be, he let her. They bumped and ground their way through three songs and had started on a fourth when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

_Please live, Fang. Live and be okay._

Max.

Nick twisted around, trying to locate her. Somehow he knew that she was close by. He glanced toward the door and caught a glimpse of her. It looked like she was being pulled, but she was laughing. He only saw her for a second and then she was gone in a flash of blonde hair. He started after her, but small hands wrapped around his wrist.

"Forget her," said the brunette with whom he had been dancing. "She's with Dean Townshend. You don't want to mess with that. Besides, " she purred, rubbing up against him. "I'm right here."

"Excuse me?" he said.

"Pretty blonde? Tall, looks like a dancer, freaky eyes? Yeah, we all know her." She looked up at him expectantly. "Cheer squad? Theta Pi Delta?"

His face remained blank. What did he care about cheerleaders?

She frowned in annoyance. "Whatever. Anyway, she's dating Dean Townshend, the quarterback who is sure to be first draft pick for the new season. I mean, no offense and all, cause you're really hot, but I doubt you have a chance. Once he gets a hold of a girl, she's ruined for life."

"What's her name?"

The girl scoffed. "Maximum Ride. Ridiculous, isn't it? Can't say I haven't wondered how she got it."

Nick left her behind. He had no time for idiots.

He searched through the house and found Jason in the kitchen and got dragged into a couple of rounds of King's Cup, fortunately avoiding the actual King's Cup, but still downing plenty of alcohol. A little unsteady, he escaped Jason's clingy drunken grasp and wandered out of the kitchen in search of Max.

The heat and music began to annoy him, so Nick slipped out the back door. The cool mountain air helped clear his senses. He meandered down toward the lake, thinking about Max. He passed a few couples making out just beyond the flickering tikki torches lining the path to the water. He stopped at the edge of the trees, staring out over the water.

A shout caught his attention. Nick headed in that direction. Chances were that it was just a couple of drunks being loud, but he wanted to make sure. Years of being the peacekeeper at Jason's parties had the instinct ground into him. A group burst from the trees about fifty yards down the beach. Two figures, one huddled into the other, hurried back toward the path, and three more followed, their raised voices carrying in the clear mountain air. One of the three figures behind ran up and grabbed the more upright of the two in front.

Nick could see that the two being followed were women and the three pursuers were men.

The taller girl shook off the guy that grabbed her, but in doing so accidentally knocked over the girl she had been holding up. That allowed the other two guys to catch up. Nick sped up. It didn't look like a good situation. He could hear them yelling from where he was and that tall girl had a set of pipes. The more he listened, the more he thought that it sounded like Max. He was near enough now to identify them and sure enough, it was Max and the girl attempting to get to her feet was Lissa. God damn.

No one had noticed his approach yet, so the guys were still ganging up on Max. She didn't even budge.

Max snapped at the man standing next to her. "There is no fucking way I am going to just walk away while they try to take advantage of her. She's drunk as fuck, Dean. That's called rape."

"Come on, babe. She's just asking for it getting like that. Quit making a scene," Dean snapped. His eyes flickered over her shoulder and noticed Nick coming up behind her. He grabbed her arm again and jerked her close.

Max slapped his hand off of her arm and backed up, not bothering to lower her voice. "No, I am not going to calm down. I don't give a shit. They have no excuse."

One of the guys stepped forward. "We were just having a little fun. She was into it."

Lissa whimpered.

Max snarled at him. "Yeah right. Get the fuck back."

Nick stopped just behind her shoulder, almost touching her. He saw her tense and then, incredibly, she relaxed. She tilted her head to the side, letting her long hair spill over her shoulder.

"Jesus, "he said. "Get your bitch under control, Dean."

"Do I look like I'm his bitch, idiot? Do I sound like it?" Max scoffed.

Dean grabbed her arm again, so hard Nick could see his fingers and the flesh of her arm turn white.

Nick wrapped his hand around the boy's wrist in a flash. "You want to let her go," he said in an icy tone. Dean was no lightweight at six feet two and two hundred and thirty pounds, but Nick knew the boy was no match for him.

Dean released her arm and held up his hands. "Whatever, man. Back off." Then, he took a swing at Nick, not caring that Max was in the way.

Before Nick could react, Max had caught Dean's fist, whipped it to the side and kicked him in the gut.

She let him drop and faced the other two, planting her fists on her hips. "Anyone else?" She said.

Nick tried not to be obvious about staring at her, but he was impressed at how easily she had taken out the quarterback. The other two guys looked just as shocked.

"Didn't think so," Max snarled and turned away.

She squatted down next to Lissa and held out her hands. "Don't freak. We're cool. Let's go back inside. I'll get someone to take you home." She grabbed Lissa's arms and hauled her upright, slinging one arm over her shoulders. Twin yells behind her broke off what she was going to say next as the friends of Dean Townshend charged her while her back was turned. Nick was there. He let one punch slide past him, grabbing the guy's wrist and pulling him forward, off-balance, while Nick's other fist made contact with the thug's temple. The would be attacker dropped like a rock. The other managed to land a blow to Nick's face. Nick cold clocked the sucker.

Max looked back over her shoulder, simply curious. "Nice," she said. She looked up at him and her face brightened. "Hey, Nick Munroe! How're you? Fancy meeting you here." She started back toward the cabin.

Nick chased after her. "Yeah, really. Why are you here?" He pulled her to a stop and took Lissa away from her.

Max made a face. "To party, of course. Although, I always end up at a different kind of party." She jerked her head back toward the heap of college jocks. "Lucky me, huh?" She kept pace with him up to the house.

They walked in silence. He wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm Max, by the way. Maximum Ride," she said, with a sideways glance. She mistook the upward slant of his mouth. "I know, okay. It's a funny name, but I picked it myself, 'cause, you know, I'm the best." She pulled her hair out of its ponytail and let the waves spill down her back.

"I think it's a great name. I'm just excited to finally know it," Nick said honestly. "You picked it yourself?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, I was, like, five and got sick of being passed around the foster care system. So I made up my own name and refused to answer to anything else. It was my way of making myself feel better and getting back at them."

Nick adjusted Lissa. "Well, I think it fits. Somehow it's perfect for you." They had reached the back door and Max held it open.

"Thanks," she said.

He set Lissa on shaky feet and held her steady. She leaned against him with her eyes closed and her mouth open. "I'll take care of her," he said. "It's kinda my fault." He eyed her with exasperation. "We broke up today."

Max made a sound. "So this is Lissa? Does she always get like this?" She twisted her long hair into a bun in the fastest motion he had ever seen.

With her hair back, Max's elegant features were even more beautiful. Nick couldn't help but notice the finer details of her look tonight. Deep purple eye shadow lined her eyes, drawing out the green. Her lips always seemed to curve up at the corners in contrast to the small frown that appeared to hover on her forehead. The dangly silver earrings also served as a distraction. Her grin made him want to smile.

Lissa punched him. Apparently she had awakened.

"What, two hours and you're over me?" she slurred. "That's bullshit. We had six great years and they mean nothing to you." She pushed away and promptly fell.

Max bit her lip and shifted awkwardly. She glanced back outside, made a face and nodded.

Nick wanted to hit something really, really hard or die right then. He dropped to one knee next to Lissa. "Do you want me to just leave you here, then? I'd rather make sure that you were okay, but if you don't want me around, that's fine, too."

"No," she whined.

"You've got your hands full here. I'm gonna take off." Max said and slipped back outside. "Later."

Nick stood, calling after her. "Max, what about – "

She turned to face him with a grin, but kept walking away. "You've got my number, Munroe. It's up to you." And she just melted away into the trees.

He touched the phone in his pocket. He did have her number.


	5. Forced Calls and Dreaming

Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe. Thanks for all your support. I hope you like the new direction. Much Love!**

Two days later, Nick was still debating about calling her. Of course, he had wanted to call her immediately after she left, but Lissa chose that moment to become violently sick. He waited it out with her and when every possible thing was out of her system, he drove her home. He dodged her for the entire week, not answering his phone and skipping all of his usual hangouts.

He and Jason spent a lot of time going over midterms and what had happened at the party. Jason was sure that the football team was going to go on a rampage after Nick, considering that he had taken out three of the best players.

"I only took care of two. Max floored Dean all on her own," he protested.

"Like he's going to admit he was beat by a girl, especially a delicate looking thing like her?" Jason countered. It had taken a while to convince Jason that Max had in fact knocked out Dean with a kick.

Nick played with his phone.

"Just call her already. She obviously wants you to," Jason said, exasperation clear in his tone.

Nick pushed his phone away. "Not yet. I'll give it a while."

Jason drained the rest of his soda. "Don't let Lissa get you off track. Even I could tell that you were out of the relationship forever ago. Go fucking get her."

Nick stared at his phone, his thoughts drifting.

"Hey." Jason banged on the table. "We going out tonight?" He eyed his friend suspiciously.

Nick jerked back to reality. "What? Sure."

"You now have an excuse to talk to Max. I'm begging you to bring a friend." Jason leaned back, looking satisfied. "I'm not letting you leave until you call her."

Nick pinned Jason with a glare. "Right, _you're_ not letting _me_ leave? Since when have you ever been able to stop me from doing something?

Jason arched an eyebrow and grabbed Nick's phone from the table. He scanned through the numbers, found Max's and hit the send button before tossing it back to Nick. Nick snatched the phone from midair and snapped it shut. Jason scowled. "You are absolutely no fun."

"Uh, no. You do not do shit like that." As the words were out of his mouth, Nick's phone rang. He answered without thinking. "What?"

"Hmm, Nick Munroe. Did I catch you at a bad time?" Max said cheerily, as if she knew what had happened.

"Hey, no, you didn't. I just dropped my phone and …," he trailed off. Jason's gleefully unholy grin annoyed him to no end.

He could hear the smile in her voice as she answered. "I know how that goes. I have a friend just like that, but I'm glad in your case. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me."

_Yeah, right_. He thought. An image of her looking up at him with her hair disheveled and her mouth open in light panting breaths, an image from his dreams, danced before his eyes. He coughed. "Doubt it. Just been busy is all. Forgetting."

"Yeah, I'm feeling you there, too." Her voice still sounded cheerful, but it had gone softer and wistful. "OW!" All trace of vulnerability was gone in her shout. "What the fuck! That hurt, you bastard. Go away!" The words were muffled, the microphone of her phone no longer near her mouth. "Augh! No, Iggy!"

"Hullo?" The deep baritone laced with a thick Irish accent startled Nick.

"Yeah?" he said.

"Are you this guy that Max has been going on non-stop about?"

Nick let his mouth curve up. "I dunno."

"Is your name Nick – ugh – Munroe? Get off," he said.

"Give me my phone, God damn it!" Max yelled in the background.

"That would be my name."

"Then just take her out already. I'm fucking sick of hearing about it. Pick her up at seven thirty," the guy snapped.

"Will do. See her then," Nick promised.

"Good, here's Max."

Jason sat across the table red-faced and laughing. Nick kicked him. Hard.

"Nick?" Max came back, her breathing labored. "You still there? Mother fucker!" she shouted, presumably at this Iggy person. He heard maniacal laughter in the background.

Nick stood and left Jason rubbing his knee. "Yeah, I'm still here." He shrugged on his coat. "So, I'll see you at seven thirty, then? I'm cashing in that dinner invite."

"Sounds like a date," she said. "You'll have to excuse me now. I'm going to destroy my roommate."

Nick replied, "Okay. I'll see you later."

"Bye," she said and the line went dead.

Nick snapped his phone shut and settled a glare on Jason. "You are such an ass."

Jason rubbed his nails on his jacket and examined them. "And I also got you a date with your dream girl. You can thank me later. I expect to be best man."

Nick rubbed the back of his neck where a dull ache had started. "Yeah, sure. I'm gonna go. I'll see you tonight." He staggered through his front door several minutes later, the intensity of his headache making him clumsy. He stripped of his shirt, set an alarm on his phone and fell onto the bed. There was no way to get rid of pain like this except sleep. He soon fell under.

_Nick stood in the center of his living room and stretched up tall, his arms reaching high and his back arching until he felt several pops down his spine. His wings extended, too, nearly touching the walls._

"_Feels good, doesn't it? To stretch them after so long?" a woman's voice behind him sent tingles down his spine._

_He looked over his shoulder to see her leaning against the refrigerator, her blonde hair spilling over her right shoulder in tangled curls. Her green eyes darkened with emotions he couldn't quite read. God, she was beautiful. He could see the tips of her wings, white and brown-mottled feathers, hovering behind her shoulders. She was his._

"_Do you remember yet? Who I am? Who you are?" She pushed off the fridge and moved forward. "The headaches only get worse as the memories get closer to the surface. They'll stop once you remember everything."_

_Nick faced her, moving to meet her advance. His hands settled at her waist, his thumbs slipping beneath the hem of her shirt to stroke her skin. He loved the small catch in her breathing the action elicited. "I don't remember much, or anything really. But I have this sense that you-"_

_Her mouth stopped the rest of his sentence. She pressed closer and the scent of her shampoo made him a little dizzy. Her body was pliant under his hands, but he could feel the strength that lay just beneath the surface. There was so much more to her than he had first realized and, with a start, he understood that he held Max in his arms. She smiled against his lips_

_Then her body jerked as if something had struck her. Her eyes went wide and she coughed. It took him several seconds to realize that blood was slowly pouring over her lip, down her chin. He shouted, but all sound seemed to have faded away. Her knees buckled and he dropped with her to the ground. Looking up, he saw a parking lot at night instead of the walls of his living room and a familiar figure holding a smoking gun and laughing. _

_Max went completely limp in his arms, her mouth slightly open and that fierce sparkle leaching from her eyes. He gathered her close and roared._


	6. Note to Readers

Hello everyone,

Believe it or not, I am writing again. I have replaced all five chapters and I am working on number six. Having recently flipped through the selection of stories, I realized how little there is to read that contains some real content. I am going to do my best to bring that back, though the actual series has indeed gone the way of this collection. That is what happens when an author lets the fans write the books. Shame on James Patterson. Anyway, I hope that I don't disappoint when I update.

Much Love,

Venomous Angel 75


	7. Headaches and Memories

Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe. Please review and much love. Don't forget to re-read the first five chapters. They have been updated.**

Nick woke at five to seven, his hands clenched into fists and his throat hoarse. Though it was fuzzy, his dream still echoed in his head. He could feel the woman's body limp in his arms and he could smell her blood as it spilled from her. Her face eluded him, but he was sure it was somebody he knew. His chest felt impossibly tight.

He pushed off the bed, thankful that his headache had receded to a dull throb in the back of his skull for the meantime. A quick glance at the clock galvanized him into action. He took the fastest shower ever and practically flew out the door as soon as he was dressed, his hair still dripping.

The place wasn't too hard to find. One of his friends lived in the same neighborhood as Max. Nick double checked the address in his phone and realized that she was only a couple houses down from where his friend was. He pulled up in front and killed the engine. The door to the house opened and three kids and a dog raced outside. A tall redhead stood in the doorway, shouting last minute instructions, Nick guessed, as two of the kids and the dog took off running down the street. The third child, a tall blonde girl, looked directly at him and shock registered on her face. As he met her ridiculously large blue eyes, his headache came roaring back with a vengeance.

One of the others shouted at her from down the street and she jumped. With a quick look at him, she chased after them.

_Welcome back, Fang._

Nick couldn't be sure because of the spike of pain driving though his head, but he could have sworn that somebody had whispered to him. Chalking it up to hallucination, which he sometimes experienced with headaches like this, he got out of the car and approached the front door.

The young man grinned at him and stepped back into the house. "Nick, right? You're expected."

"Yeah," Nick said and followed him inside. His vision was starting to blur. He really needed some pain meds. "Hey, do you have something to knock out a headache?"

Iggy tilted his head. "Sure, in the kitchen. Let me just tell Max you're here." He paused at the foot of the stairs. "Max! Nick's here! "

Nick just managed not to wince.

"Okay, I'll be down in a sec. Be nice, Ig!" she called down from the second floor.

"Like I'm ever not nice," Iggy muttered, his low voice and the accent making it difficult to understand him.

Nick took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, trying to fight the dizziness that threatened his balance.

Iggy turned back to him. "Are you okay? You don't sound so good."

Nick forced himself to stand straight. "Yeah, I just need some aspirin or something. Do you have any?"

"Oh, sure. Sorry. It's back through here." He headed farther back into the house and Nick followed him, trying to keep his breathing and his steps steady. Nick hated feeling like this in front of others.

He reached the kitchen, almost at his limit, and leaned against the counter. He could barely see at all now and the room felt as though it were spinning around him. A sharp pain jolted through his side and he fell into a swirl of colors and sounds.

He couldn't make out much at first because everything was spinning so fast, but after a few seconds, he began to identify what he was seeing. He saw Iggy, younger with white knuckles standing in front of a house, his face tight and scared. A young blonde girl with the biggest blue eyes he had ever seen, clutching a stuffed bear and scowling. A girl that looked like Max, three deep scratches across her cheeks and a bruise on her temple pressing Band-Aids onto the forehead of another blonde boy with Nick himself in the background watching, his eyes dark and his face blank. A willowy black girl sitting next to him her brown eyes riveted on the hawks nesting barely twenty feet away from them. The loud whoosh of wind as he cut through the air, his wings pumping in even strokes. A small black dog sleeping across his arm as he flew thousands of feet above the ground and five others winging lazily alongside him.

"_You're fine. It'll be okay."_

"_If I turn into something bad, will you take care of it?"_

"_I can breathe like a fish!"_

"_I'm helping you change your mind."_

"_There will always be you and me."_

"Nick, can you hear me?"

A bright light blinded his left eye and, a second later, the same happened to his right. He groaned.

"Good. Don't move, okay?" A woman said just above him. Her hand felt cool on his face.

He forced his eyes open and pushed himself up. Max knelt right next to him, her expression darkening as he ignored her command.

"What did I tell you? Damn, you are stubborn as ever," she said in an exasperated voice, but her eyes held concern.

"I'm fine," he said, annoyed that his voice sounded weak.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just relax for a minute, okay? Iggy?" she called. She pressed her fingers to her temples and rubbed in small fast circles while she waited for a reply from her roommate.

He sat up and leaned against the cabinets. "Hell of a way to start a first date." The tension in her body did not escape his notice. "Got a headache, too?"

"Something like that. Do you want some ice? Iggy said you hit your head pretty hard." She looked anywhere but at him.

He rubbed his hand over his head and felt a tender spot at the back. "No. I'll be fine. I'm a quick healer." He stood and reached a hand out to her to help her up. "Here. Do you still want to go out? We can reschedule."

She grabbed his hand and pulled herself up. Shaking her head, she said, "No, let's go. I need to get out of the house." She looked up at him and her eyes widened slightly. They were only inches apart.

Nick only had to lean forward two inches to press his mouth to hers. He searched her eyes for some cue as to how to proceed, but she seemed in shock, frozen. Everything in him was screaming to lean forward. Then with a start, he realized that he felt completely at ease in her company. There was no desire to be anywhere else, no thoughts of how long things would last, no doubt whatsoever in his mind. And he understood. He whispered, "Max."

Her breath caught and she seemed about to move, when Iggy walked through the door.

"Hey, so I'm guessing-whoa," he said, his face open and confused. "You sure don't waste any time."

Nick wanted to tell the kid to get lost, but the moment was gone. Max had jumped away as soon as Iggy spoke and now she was halfway across the kitchen, making herself busy with something. She was acting very different now that she couldn't just leave him hanging.

"Do you just want to stay in and watch a movie? Maybe get some pizza?" she asked suddenly.

Iggy looked at her sharply and grabbed her elbow. "Excuse us," he said as he dragged her into the other room.

Nick remained where he was, all sorts of questions bouncing around in his head. He couldn't help wondering why he wasn't put off by her sudden attitude switch or the things they seemed to know that he didn't and felt like he should. He had never felt so confused about what was going on, but he could not resist the pull. He had to find out what was going on because he was involved in a big way and he hated flying blind. Their low, urgent voices only irritated him.

He moved to the doorway and leaned against the wood, watching the two of them try to fight quietly. "You might as well tell me what's going on."

Max jumped and Iggy scowled. Then, Max frowned, too.

"Tell me now, or I am walking out that door and you will never see me again." Nick felt odd giving that kind of ultimatum, but he was sick of the games. This thing in which he appeared to be involved, against his will, was going to end tonight. "No more games."

Max glanced at Iggy, who shrugged, and sighed in a very defeated sounding way. "Fine. You'd better sit down. It's going to take a while."


	8. Explanations and Polymers

Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe. Please review and sorry about the wait! Thanks for continuing to read.

Nick settled into an armchair across from the two on the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees. The throbbing in his head seemed less insistent at that angle. His dark eyes scanned over Max as she sat across from him. He should be upset or freaked out or something other than calmly anticipating whatever they were going to say. And he had a sense that whatever came out of their mouths wouldn't freak him out, even if they told him that he was some kind of alien and it was time to return to the mother ship. He focused on Max, drinking in everything about her. Whatever it was, it would be okay as long as he could stay by her side.

Iggy returned from the kitchen with three beers in his hands. He set one next to Nick and the others right in front of Max. He dropped to the couch with easy grace and rubbed a hand through his messy auburn hair.

Max reached for a beer as soon as Iggy set them down and took a very long drink. She looked like she was going to snap herself in half with all the tension in her body.

The three of them stared at each other for a while, both Nick's and Iggy's gazes steady while Max's eyes darted around the room without settling on anything. Finally, Iggy rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.

"As you may have realized, for reasons you have yet to learn, we know you," he started. "You, actually, know us, too, but those memories - the real memories - are buried very deep, under layers of artificially implanted life experiences and perceptions. There are six of us. Myself, Max, you, Nudge, the Gasman or Gazzy, and Angel. And Total, but he's the dog. We're not like everyone else, which is why we've stuck together and why we spent the first seventeen years of our lives running for, well, our lives."

Nick took a small drink from his beer, glancing at Max. Her eyes were wide and hazy, locked on him. She looked so terrified that he could feel his own gaze softening as their eyes met. "What's so special about us, then?"

The Irish one glanced at Max and nudged her with his foot.

"We're part bird," she blurted out.

Iggy pressed his palm to his forehead and leaned his head forward in mild irritation.

Nick only raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry," she said. "We are human-avian hybrids, the first successful recombination experiment that has outlasted the expiration programmed into our DNA. Each of us contains approximately 2% avian DNA which endows us with quite a few additional advantages over the rest of the human population." She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down, watching his reaction carefully.

"Like what?" he asked.

Iggy heaved himself up off the couch and pulled his shirt up over his head, tossing it to Max. He rolled his shoulders and turned around.

Nick actually felt his eyes widen and his mouth drop open he took in the large pair of mottled wings as they untucked from the man's back and extended out a bit into the space around him.

"As you can see," Iggy said. "We have wings, along with ridiculously fast metabolisms, hollow long bones and senses that far surpass the average human."

"You said 'we.' I sure as hell don't have wings." Nick pressed his fingertips to his temple as he leaned back and took another drink from his beer.

Max's forehead wrinkled as she looked at him. "You do have wings, actually. When we were captured, made to forget, the scientists didn't want to destroy what we were by removing our wings. They pumped us full of drugs that made our feathers molt completely without growing back and sealed them into our backs with some kind of organic polymer that releases that chemical continuously into our bodies. The only way to get your wings back is to remove the polymer and wait for the feathers to regrow."

"And how is that supposed to happen?"

She pressed her lips together in a tight thin line. "It takes a while." She leaned forward suddenly, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes. A shuddering gasp tore from her throat and she moaned.

Iggy was instantly on his knees next to her, his fingers pressing against the base of her skull. She ripped one hand away from her eyes and locked it around his wrist. He didn't react to the deep crescents her nails dug into his skin. "This," he said, "is their sick little joke. They provided a way for us to get our memories back, or they just underestimated how strong we are, but all that pain you've been feeling is a result of what they did. They buried our memories under deep, deep layers of...whatever. Our true selves are triggered by Max. Once she remembered one of us, that broke something they did in her brain. She's remembered how each of us feel to her once we come in contact with her, but the actual memories take a while to come out."

The throbbing came back in full force as he watched her face, as he heard Iggy's words. His vision darkened and he saw her again, wide-eyed and nervous as a skinny boy barely taller than she put his arms around her and clumsily pressed his lips to hers. Jealously flared inside him. She shouldn't be kissing that freak. He could never understand what she needed. He could never treat her the way she deserved. Nick scoffed, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. What if he was wrong...

With a start, he came back to himself. He blinked slowly and inhaled a shaky breath. Max was still digging deep crescents in Iggy's wrist, but her eyes were open and they pinned him with an intensity that took his breath away. Maybe it should have bothered him, but he only quirked one corner of his mouth at her. Those words in his head had been right. He was home.

Nick heaved himself out of the chair and crashed on the couch at her side. One arm slid around her shoulders and pulled her tightly against him, leaning his forehead on hers. She twisted her free hand into his shirt and screamed. The next second, her body relaxed and she fell over like a rag doll.

Iggy groaned as he dislodged her nails from his skin. "Well, in good news, that part of it is over for her." He sat back on the floor and rubbed the blood away with the hem of his shirt. "All of the barriers the scientists installed to block her memory are gone. She's going to remember everything, you especially, without the headaches anymore."

"That'll be nice. How much longer do I have?" Nick wondered. He settled back against the cushions after moving Max into a more comfortable position with her head on his lap.

The red-head shrugged. "It's hard to say. It took Nudge almost three months to get herself back. It sucked. And Angel got hers back the instant she saw Max again. It's been different for all of us."

Nick twisted a lock of her hair through his fingers, secretly enjoying the softness. "What was my name?"

"Fang. You're the second oldest, two months younger than Max, give or take. That also made you second in command."

"What was I to her?"

"To who, Max?" Iggy's mouth twisted and his forehead wrinkled. "I don't know if I'm the right person to tell you. Things were a little unresolved when we were separated." He sighed. "I do know that the both of you were ridiculously in love with each other, but super-in denial about it. You were going back and forth so fast it gave the rest of us whiplash." He scrubbed his hands through his hair.

A jolt went through his skull and he hissed.

"It's easier if you don't fight it," Iggy advised.

Nick set his jaw and pushed the pain to the back of his consciousness. "I'll let it run its course when I know she's fine."

The corners of Iggy's mouth curved up. "Same as ever."


	9. Broken Minds and Progress

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe. Please review and sorry about the wait! I haven't abandoned this story. I'm just having a lot of trouble keeping things straight and finding inspiration. I WILL finish...someday. Thanks for continuing to read. Much Love & Please Review! **

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Nick was just starting to doze off when Max shifted where she lay across his lap. Untangling his fingers from her hair, he forced his eyes open to watch her reaction as she woke up.

Max lay still for a few seconds, absorbing the wonderful feeling of a headache free skull and the sense that she was completely right with herself again. Joints popped as she stretched out, a small frown tugging on her mouth when she couldn't move her wings. With a groan, she sat up and rubbed her fingertips vigorously along her scalp. Her movements stilled as she finally felt the weight of Nick's gaze on her and she cautiously turned to look at him.

Before he knew it, she was in his lap, her considerably long limbs wrapped tightly around him and her face pressed into his neck. Her arms were so tight that his vision started to blacken at the edges, but he didn't much care. He only circled her waist with his own arms and squeezed her back. One hand slid up her back to the base of her skull, his thumb rubbing small circles on either side of her spine. He couldn't process the thousands of sensations bombarding his brain, so he just closed his eyes and held her, hoping that it wouldn't tear him apart.

The dull throbbing at the base of his skull grew more insistent the longer she clung to him, but he set his jaw and pushed the pain back. It felt better than he could have ever possibly imagined to have her in his arms. It felt right.

After a while, her arms loosened by degrees and she moved back just enough to look at his face. This close he could see the tenuous tension that kept the moisture in her eyes from spilling down her cheeks. The throbbing grew into a sharp constant spike, but he kept his eyes open and on hers. She seemed to be waiting for something from him. "Max," he whispered and the floodgate broke.

Tears flowed down her face in such a torrent that he was amazed that it kept going after a few seconds. Moving his hands from her waist up to cup her cheeks, he did his best to wipe away her tears with his thumbs. He didn't say anything, having no idea what to say, and just let her cry. Her hands came up to wrap around his wrists in a death grip and he let her squeeze the feeling from them without a second thought.

"I thought I'd never find you," she sobbed. "And now you're here, completely by accident, and -"

He stopped her words with the soft pressure of his thumb on her lips. "And it's okay." He wiped more tears from her cheeks and sat still, letting her decide the direction things would take.

When she looked at him again, he was surprised to see the slightest hint of something different in her gaze. She didn't look older exactly, but there was a deeper knowledge and wisdom in the emerald depths that hadn't been there moments ago.

"How much do you remember?" she asked softly.

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. I remember the smell of antiseptic and cold metal. I remember pine trees and the wind rushing over me." Nick grasped her left wrist and turned it over so that the dark slash was visible to the both of them. "I remember this."

She tried to pull away from him, but he refused to give quarter. "Not my finest moment," she admitted.

He pressed a gentle kiss to the mark and let her have her hand back. "I remember that Iggy didn't have an accent."

Max snorted and shook her head at that. "Yeah, they thought it was funny cause he's, you know, a redhead. The others actually have accents, too. Except for Angel. Most of her conditioning didn't stick."

Nick raised an eyebrow and waited for her to explain.

"You know how they supposedly implanted completely new memories over our old ones?" She waited for his nod before continuing. "Well, they didn't want us all on the same continent and most of them, us, were made to think we were natives of these particular countries. Nudge was stuck in Denmark until we found her. Angel was in Egypt. Gazzy was in Australia. Iggy, as you know, resided in Ireland and I actually lived in Thailand for a few years. My 'parents' were missionaries."

He leaned back and let his head rest on the couch as she spoke, his headache getting worse with each name that fell from her lips. Black spots danced at the edge of his vision, but he would be damned if he was going to let that interrupt the conversation with his newly rediscovered soulmate. "So, you speak Thai?" he managed.

She nodded. "Mee khrap. It means 'Yes, I do'," she explained. Then her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You hurt, don't you?" Her fingertips smoothed over his skull, pressing gently, and her frown deepened at the slight tightening of his jaw every time she touched a tender spot.

He pulled one hand from its exploration and squeezed it gently. "I'm fine, really."

"One of the last times I heard that from you, we ended up in a hospital for three days," she admonished, her tone disbelieving. Her eyes flickered down to his side. "I suppose it was too much to hope for that you'd lose that annoying habit."

The dark spots were growing larger the longer he fought and he hated that he had to start regulating his breathing just to keep himself in control. Colors flitted across his vision, interspersed with the black spots, and if he concentrated hard enough it was almost like watching a movie on fast forward. He heard Max's voice right above him, calling for someone, for Iggy, but he was already gone when the redhead reached them.

He stood on the wrong side of a security fence, inside of it and looking out at the road. A blue car wound down the way and with a jolt, he recognized his own car, his parents' car. His gut twisted and his side burned as he realized exactly what he was seeing. Even as he watched, the car swerved around the last turn and flipped over on its side. It slid 100 feet and crashed into the guardrail and he raced to the fence, grabbing the wrought iron as he saw his own body catapulted from the car.

He struck the fence as his body twisted in the air, getting closer and closer, and the blue sedan burst into flame. He heard his own scream as the fence bit into his side, but instead of the screams of his parents, he heard a quick hiss.

"You should have told us you were hurt!" The voice sounded so familiar.

The image before him flickered and became transparent. Through the thin smoke he could see the highway. The car wavered in and out of his vision. He turned to see his fourteen-year-old body lying next to where he was standing, dark blood seeping out to stain the sand.

As he watched the fence around him, the shapes of five figures huddled around him bled through the smoke. Blonde hair streaked with pink hung in the face of the girl pressing her hands to his side, her hands covered in red. White and tan mottled wings extended above her head, but she paid them no mind as she waved at the redhead, Iggy, to pick up his feet. Her face was a mask of fear and determination. He could see her trying to keep it together for the younger ones, but the looks passing between her and Iggy caused the bottom to drop out of his stomach. He hated to see her scared.

The group gathered around him looked up as one at the jogger after a quiet word from the youngest looking blonde. With the jogger's entrance into the picture, all the layers over the memories faded and he could see clearly for the first time. The fence and the burning car were gone, leaving only the six winged children huddled on a beach, fearing for their lives.

He could hear the the blonde, Max, arguing in an odd language with the next oldest looking blonde. The African-American girl joined in, her jaw set and her eyes narrowed in defiance as they snapped back. Max growled lower, the tension in her body indicating her displeasure with a snarl.

The scene started to fade away and he grasped at the tendrils in the hopes of keeping them with him. Though it wasn't a great memory, he wanted to make sure that he had it with him in the morning.


	10. A Little Bit Clearer

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe. Please review and sorry about the wait! By the way, I'm sorry if this chapter's off. I read FANG right before writing this and I've been in a slight depression ever since. Thanks to James Patterson for ruining my days yet again and nearly killing my muse. Bastard. Anyway, thanks for continuing to read. Please Review!

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Nick woke in degrees, small sensations washing over him in waves. It felt as though he were flickering in and out of a corporeal existence as the soft texture of whatever he lay on rubbed against his skin for a second before disappearing and leaving nothing behind. The same thing happened as he heard voices speaking in low tones near his head, a slow build from whispers and back to nothingness.

Little by little, the few seconds of sensation turned into many seconds, and then minutes. When he was finally able to pop an eye open, he was rewarded with the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life.

Max was curled up in a chair next to the bed in which he appeared to be laying. Her golden hair was swept over one shoulder and her chin rested on her fist. A book lay open on her lap but her eyes were closed. He rolled to his side to see his surroundings better, grimacing at the dull ache still throbbing at the back of his skull. The rustling of the sheets pulled her out of the doze and she blinked at him for a few seconds before she realized that he was awake.

"Hey," she said, a soft smile spreading across her face. She flipped the book shut and folded her hands across it.

"Hey," he answered. His eyes slowly wandered around the room, taking in the blue walls papered with concert posters and chalk drawings. White Christmas lights stretched from corner to corner, half of which were illuminated and served as the only light source in the room. "Where -?"

She untucked her legs and stretched them out in front of her. "My room. You've been out for a while. We were just going to leave you on the couch, but when it didn't seem like you were waking up after a couple of hours, Iggy and I moved you up here." She put her feet on the floor and tucked her hands under her knees, leaning forward so that her hair swung out around her face.

Nick did a quick inventory of himself and determined that he was in mostly working condition. He swung his legs to the side and levered himself into a sitting position. "How long was I out?"

Max shrugged. "About thirteen hours. You seemed to wake up a couple of times, but it was mostly active dreaming."

"Thirteen hours?" So long?

"Yep. Jason called and I told him you swooned over seeing me again."

His head snapped up and his eyes narrowed, but she was smiling with a teasing glint in those enchanting emerald eyes.

She laughed. "Just kidding. I did tell him that I wasn't feeling well enough to go out and you decided to keep me company. He certainly understood that, although, he demands a rain check. Apparently, he really wants to meet me." She started to kick her feet in little swirls as she kept her eyes glued to his face. As if coming back to herself, she blinked rapidly and looked away from him.

"I'm sure he does," Nick said wryly, his attention more focused on the play of light across her fair skin than on the conversation. Even as he watched her, he could feel the beginnings of an unfamiliar emotion knotting in his chest. It wasn't unpleasant or painful, just different and unexpected. He wanted to touch her, his fingers itched with the need.

Her gaze snapped back to him as he was contemplating touching her. "What do you remember?"

He shook his head to clear it from thoughts of her, but found that she occupied even more space as he tried to separate real from fiction. "I remember," he said slowly. "I remember the fight with Ari that gave me these scars." He pressed his hand to his side, just over the four parallel lines crossing his ribcage. "I remember feeling really bad about dislocating your arm that one time. I remember waiting with Nudge at the top of that cliff with the hawks, waiting for you to find us."

The muscles of her arms flexed as Max squeezed the underside of her legs. "I was so scared then." A shadow flickered over her features. "He died a few months later, you know. Expired and all."

Nick didn't know what to say. The few memories of Ari he had gained weren't exactly complimentary. The boy had only caused Max pain and it still made Nick want to crush him.

"So, how'd it happen?" she asked. "Getting them back?"

He rubbed his palms together and placed them on his knees. He had no doubt anymore that he had been the victim of some cruel scientific experiment, but it was still hard to reconcile the two halves of who he had believed he was and who he actually was. "Like watching through mist. The implanted memories start out solid and fade away into the real ones." He shook his head so that his bangs fell over his eyes.

Max nibbled on her bottom lip as she listened to him. She swept her hair behind one ear and stood. "Crazy."

He watched her pace from beneath the fringe of his dark hair. He didn't want to admit it, but his eyes definitely followed her hips more than her path. His newly acquired memories reminded him of the gradual strengthening of his love for her, from viewing her as a sister and friend to a young woman that stirred desires in him that no one should feel for a sister. The fact that she wore baggy sweatpants did nothing to quell the power she held over him. "What about you?" he managed, glancing away from her.

"It's kind of like peeling away layers a bit at a time. Similar to the bleeding through effect you're experiencing, but I think it's a little different," she suddenly spun and sat down next to him. "Like, I also start out with the implanted memory, but one at a time, the elements disappear. People just vanish one at a time from a crowded place until there's no one left but me and then the layers start piling back on again in the same way until the original memory is complete."

They sat shoulder to shoulder and he was glad for the press of her body against his, no matter how slight. He felt more alive that he could ever remember with her there next to him.

"I don't like this...not knowing," he admitted, feeling more at ease in her presence even than with Jason.

She swiveled to face him. "It's hard. Trying to reconcile the two halves of what you are and what you thought you were. We're all different from what we were, but we're still ourselves."

He quirked a corner of his mouth at her. "How long does that take?"

"I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out how I relate to you exactly. I've only just remembered specifics yesterday." She sighed and scrubbed a hand over her face. "And I'm still working out how to track anything still coming after us. Things aren't much different from when we were forced to forget. They still have the tactical advantage, but we've got more knowledge than they think."

Nick carefully reached over and grasped her hand. She shivered. "Whatever it is," he promised. "We'll get through it together. That much I know."

She squeezed his hand hard and a layer of the apprehension in her gaze melted away. "I'm really glad you're back," she whispered.

He stared at their hands, twined together, his fingers rubbing absently through the dips of her knuckles, and wondering how many had fallen to her wrath. Transparent images trailed through his mind of the woman next to him as a teenager, her hair long and wild and whipping around her as she darted in and out of an aerial fight, her fists swift and deadly.

"Whatcha thinking?"

"I was thinking about how much I liked watching you fight," he said honestly. He dragged his gaze up to her face, meeting her eyes for a second before sliding down her face to her lips. He still couldn't remember ninety percent of his life prior to the memory modification, but he did remember, with vivid detail, how much he had wanted to make her stop and just look at him. To make her take a minute and really see _him_. Steeling himself, Nick carefully reached up and curved his free hand around the back of her neck in the optimal position to pull her forward into a kiss.

Her eyes were wide and shimmered with a thousand things he didn't have the brainpower to decipher. Without saying a word, he applied gentle pressure and leaned in, his whole body tingling in anticipation. Their mouths were barely a breath apart and a powerful sense of triumph rocketed through him as –

"Fang!"


	11. And the Gang's All Here

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride universe (not that I would want to after what James Patterson has done to these amazing characters or maybe I do so that I can fix it). Screw him! Anyway, much love. Please review!**

* * *

Nick wanted to throttle whomever had burst in on them this time, but the urge quickly dissipated as the tall, thin, blonde girl he had seen leaving the house earlier launched herself at him and it took everything he had to remain upright. Her arms wrapped tightly around him and "Angel" echoed in his head as he stared down at her. He glanced back at Max to find her with an odd combination of a smile and a frown on her face.

"Really, Ange? You couldn't have waited, like, 5 minutes?" she sighed. "He only just woke up."

Angel shrugged and grinned at Max. "You're just upset that I interrupted your almost-make out session."

Max flushed a pretty shade of pink and grumbled something about telepaths as she got up and stomped out of the room.

Nick was torn between annoyance and amusement as he stared down at the girl in his arms. "Angel?" he ventured. At once, a flood of images rushed past his eyes, among them were a tiny little girl in his arms that clung to him as he ran down white sterile halls,

She looked up from his chest and smiled. "It's so good to see you again. We've all been out of our minds trying to find you. It seems all we had to do was stop looking."

He nodded silently, unsure of how he fit back in with the kids who were, according to these restored memories, his family. He gently squeezed Angel back and wondered what to say next.

"You don't have to worry about doing or saying the right things with us," Angel said as though she were reassuring him. A young girl burdened with truths she'd rather not know gazed at him from under her long blonde eyelashes. "We've all been where you are. Anyway, you should come downstairs, Fang. We got pizza!"

She bounded away from him, long hair swinging behind her and he stood to follow her with a strange craving for hot dog and jalapeno toppings. But as he reached the top of the stairs, the bottom of his stomach dropped out as his brain registered "Fang."

The name had felt right and it's acceptance had been seamless. More images, more memories flashed in front of him: Max as a raggedy-looking 9 year old screaming his name as he was rolled away on a cart by antiseptic-smelling scientists, Angel looking up at him with wide eyes as she silently begged for the rest of his hamburger, Gazzy and Iggy whispering in a corner and glaring at him because he had told Max about their plans for testing a new bomb.

"Yo!" Iggy called up from the first floor. "You're not getting any if you don't get down here."

Nick shook his head, groaning internally at the throb that spread through his skull again. He couldn't wait until this damn process was over. Slipping into the kitchen, he was hug-attacked again by a stunning young African-American girl, Nudge, and lick-attacked by the Scottie dog, Total. Another young blonde boy slapped him on the back hard, and went right back to stuffing two slices of pizza into his mouth at once. The girls, mostly Nudge, chattered nonstop at him and each other, making his head spin with all their stories. Max stood a little way away from the group doing something on the counter.

She cast him a glance over her shoulder and a small smile stretched her lips. "Okay, kids," she said, rolling her eyes. "Let's leave him alone for now. He's still not back."

He crossed the room, getting slightly uncomfortable under the stares of the others. Moving to lean against the counter next to Max, he was surprised when she handed him a plate with a couple of pieces of pizza on it. She had sliced and scattered a hot dog and a couple of pickled jalapenos over the cheese of one slice.

"I wasn't sure if you still liked it this way, but...yeah," she finished with an uncertain glance.

Accepting the plate, he stared hard at the pizza. "It was weird. As soon as she said 'pizza', this is exactly what I was craving. Thanks." Just being next to her seemed to cause every neuron in his brain to short out. He had to wonder how he had functioned when they had been around each other all the time. He took a bite of the pizza to occupy his mouth before he did something inappropriate in the presence of company.

The rest of the group had already gone back to mostly ignoring him; they did keep sneaking glances every few seconds, but that didn't bother him much. He got the sense that this was how the group dynamic worked anyway. Max was part of it, but kind of above it at the same time. She was the mom, the big sister, the protector, the soother, the leader. Looking at her out of the corner of his eye, he saw a soft expression on her face as she watched the rest of them. It wasn't obvious on her features, but he could see the soft curve of her lips and the quiet pride in her gaze.

"There's no one quite like them, is there?" he asked softly.

She cast a sideways look at him. "Nope," she answered with a small shake of her head. "There really isn't." Max tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear and chowed down on her own pizza.

All of a sudden, Nudge popped up into his line of vision. "So, where did they stick you? The whitecoats, I mean."

Nick gave her a small smile. "Here."

The skepticism was evident on her face. "Like, here, this town, here?"

"Yep."

"The whole time?" The Gasman chimed in.

Iggy sighed. Nick had a quick thought that he had grown up quite a lot.

"Yep. Born and bred here." The words rang hollow as the smell of antiseptic filled his nose and a strange hollow feeling opened up inside his chest. "Or at least, Nick Munroe was." He felt a pang for the family he'd had. Even though they'd been total fakes implanted in his brain by evil scheming scientists, he still had mourned their deaths, was still haunted by their dying screams.

"Gazzy," Max hissed next to him, her green eyes flashing dangerously.

The blonde looked slightly ashamed, but still put on a stubborn face. "I was just asking…"

Nick shrugged and managed another bite of pizza even though his appetite had disappeared. Pushing away from the table, he followed an impulse and ruffled the kid's hair. "Pretty boring, huh? Good thing it wasn't real."

Gazzy grinned and picked up another slice. He chewed happily for a moment, then dropped it on his plate and looked at Max with an odd mixture of worry and anticipation. "Does this mean we're moving again?"

Nudge gasped. "We can't move! I only just got Peter to be my lab partner and I'm graduating. What if he's the one? What if I never get another chance at a high school diploma? We can't go!"

"It's not like we don't move around anyway," Iggy was saying. "Besides, aren't you a little young for a boyfriend?"

She turned and punched him. "I am almost nineteen, Iggy. I think the boat's sailed on that little milestone."

Max fixed her with a glare. "That had better be the only milestone you've passed."

Nudge blushed lightly and flipped her hair. "We are so not having this conversation again." She took a dainty sip of her Diet Coke and focused her attention on her nails.

"We will have this conversation as many times…" Max growled, her cheeks growing pink with emotion. Her rant appeared to have just gotten started and Nick watched with amusement as the two got into it. But before long the argument had reached a pitch and volume that he just couldn't handle with the constant throbbing pain in his head.

He slipped out through the door next to him, which conveniently led outside to a well-kept deck. Rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, he stared up at the night sky and breathed in the cold air. If he concentrated, he could almost feel wind tearing through his hair as he sliced through the open space with his wings. Closing his eyes, the sensations grew stronger, strong enough that he could feel the muscles working in his back, the soft current flowing through his feathers, the pure joy of the knowledge that he was free. Opening his eyes, Nick sighed. He really needed to get this thing over with.


	12. New Connections and Angry Exes

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride Universe. Much Love and Please Review!**

* * *

The rest of the night had been one big blur. Despite the continued presence of his headache, Nick had gone back inside and stayed most of the night with the…well, the flock was the word that came to mind.

The flock.

Staring up at his bedroom ceiling, Nick rolled it around on his tongue and decided that it felt right. It had been a little while before he had realized that they weren't hiding their wings around him. Sweeping down their backs to the backs of their knees, the wings were beautiful. Seeing them made him long to have his own. More than once he had caught himself feeling over his shoulders to see if he could detect the seams of the polymer that Max had mentioned, but it was an exercise in futility.

Early into the morning, he had taken his leave, promising to return the next day to the delight of the younger kids. Even with the vague memories he had, they all seemed so different, so much more grown up. After he had driven home and crawled into bed, another wave of memories assaulted him. He could feel Angel curling up next to him at night sniffling softly because nightmares of the School had woken her again. He saw Gazzy frowning at their old computer with his tongue stuck out between his teeth as he tried to get it running again while shouting at Iggy over his shoulder about their latest explosive experiment. Somehow, Nick manages to drift off to sleep while the parade of memories is still marching.

_He smells rubbing alcohol, feeling its sting on his chest where electrodes burned him and watches as a young girl was dragged into the room, her blonde hair in tangles and her body limp. Instincts born of fear demand that he keep his eyes to himself, but curiosity gets the better of him after they shoved her into the wire crate next to his. He holds his breath for a long time, but she doesn't wake up. He can't see her face._

_He doesn't dare move to get a closer look or even to rattle the cage a little in the hopes that it would bring her around. He is afraid, what if she's like the others, what if she dies right next to him. She looks normal enough to him, her arms and legs smooth and free of extra fingers or toes or scales. The gown she wears sits oddly across her shoulders, as though they are misshapen. So, that's where her extras are. His own are in the same place, strapped tightly across his back, the nylon restraints pinching his chest and pulling out feathers every time he tries to loosen them._

_The girl twitches and moans softly. He suddenly wants to comfort her, but he is still too afraid to move. He doesn't want any more burns. They zapped him last time he tried to help one of the other ones. He doesn't like being afraid._

_Then, he can hear her quickened breath and thinks its the end for her. His eyes burn, but he refuses to let the tears fall. He hates when they die next to him, almost as if he causes their deaths, almost as if he's supposed to die. Instead, she gulps and her breathing evens. Slowly, she pushed herself up a little and raises her head. He is pinned by her eyes. They're a shade of green he's never seen before and they're dark with something he's never felt before. He doesn't have a name for what he sees in her eyes, but it makes him feel like everything's going to be okay. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday there will be something to live for._

_Carefully, she lays her head back down on the cold plastic, but her eyes do not close. She just continues to stare at him and he starts to shrink more into himself. He can deal with the stares of the whitecoats, they can poke and prod and manipulate him, but their eyes are all cold. Hers blaze and it scorches him._

_He doesn't know how long they are there, having their stare down, not moving or blinking. He just knows he doesn't want to look away even though she seems to have the potential to hurt him worse than any whitecoat ever could. Then, suddenly, she smiles. It is small and her mouth barely curves, but it is there._

_"I'm Max," she whispers, her voice raspy and hoarse as though she's been screaming. Her hair is in tangles and he can see the bruises on her, but he still thinks she's the best thing he's ever seen._

_It takes a few tries, but eventually he manages, "Fang."_

_She says it back as if trying it out, as if making sure of something. She smiles again and it's wider this time, better. And he knows what he saw in her eyes because it's rushing through him as he hears her voice. Hope._

Nick jerked awake at the sound of pounding on his front door. He sat up, rubbing his chest and ran a hand through his hair before stumbling down the hall to answer his door. Not bothering to see who it was before he opened it, he had to tamp down his irritation when he saw who had woken him.

"Hey, Nick," Lissa said, her voice taking on the sing-song quality that had annoyed him to no end. She always used it when she was trying to manipulate him.

He closed the door enough so that she could only see him as he leaned on the doorjamb. "What do you want?" he asked tiredly.

The expression of aggravation that flitted across her features made him roll his eyes internally. "Well," she began. "I wanted to apologise for the way I acted the other day, trying to hit you and all. And I wanted to thank you-" She spit the words at him as though they tasted bad. "I wanted to thank you for helping me out that night." She offered him a cup of his favorite coffee.

He accepted it warily, but when she didn't seem to be watching for him to take a sip, he swallowed a large mouthful. She'd tried to put stuff in his food before, but she was always pretty obvious about it. She was very bad at trying to deceive him.

She smiled sadly at him. "Can I come in?"

Against his better judgement, Nick shrugged and opened the door wide enough for her to come in. Flipping the lights on, he moved over to the couch and dropped down in a sprawl across its squishy cushions. Taking another drink from the coffee, he set it on the side table and watched her.

Slipping inside, she closed the door and faced him. She dropped her oversize purse on the ground and wrapped both hands around her coffee cup. Her dark auburn hair was curled and pulled back into a half-up style that left a few tendrils curling around her face and she wasn't wearing much makeup. A school club t-shirt over jeans and sneakers completed her look and Nick felt a pang of loss. This was how he had liked her best, simple and unadorned, herself.

She crossed over to sit next to him, her back straight and her eyes on her coffee. "I guess I'm still in shock a little." A short humorless laugh left her mouth. "I've spent so long with you that I've never imagined being with anyone else."

"Billy whats-his-name two years ago?" Nick challenged, yawning as he tried to shake off the lingering fog of sleep.

Lissa scowled at him. "That wasn't on purpose," she snapped. "I swear he put something in my drink."

Nick looked back at her, his face expressionless. "Which is why we didn't break up then."

"Really? Is that why? Or is it because you just didn't care enough to find someone else?" She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just, you never seemed to care. Did you even love me?"

He opened his mouth to say, "Of course," but the words stuck in his throat. Had he loved her? Ever? He yawned again and rubbed his eyes. Surely the caffeine would have started kicking in by now. Only now was his sense of self-preservation rearing its head and all it could do was roar as Lissa leaned over him.

"I didn't think so, Nick, or should I say, Fang?" she said, her eyes flashing with a hardness he had never seen. She slipped a phone from her jeans pocket and pressed a speed dial button.

Through senses that were rapidly growing dull, he heard her say, "Yes, I've got him. Yes, he's neutralized. Do you think I'd make the same mistake again? Just come and get him."

Pain spiked through his skull as he felt himself being strapped to a table. He was younger, he could tell because Lissa was there, too, and she still had the layer of baby fat that she had lost their freshman year of college. She was nodding as whitecoats spoke in her ear, her eyes on him. The memory faded and the twenty-one year old Lissa still leaned over him.

"I told you that you should have been proposing," she said and that was the last thing he heard.


	13. Missing Time and Making Contact

**Disclaimer: I claim no right to the Maximum Ride Universe. Careful. This chapter contains some adult content. Much Love and Please Review!**

* * *

_Bright light stung his eyes as Fang cracked them open. His head was pounding and he was intensely displeased to realize that he couldn't move. As his eyes adjusted to the glare, he could make out the outlines of lamps and mechanical arms with all kinds of tools attached hanging over his head. Rolling his head to the left, he saw Iggy still unconscious and strapped to a metal table. Max lay beyond to him, her body totally slack and her face paler than he'd ever seen it. Gazzy and Nudge were also knocked out, their roughed up faces scrunching as they dreamed of something unpleasant. Glancing around the room, he took note of Total strapped to a table across from them and quickly counted the windows and doors. Of which there was a total of one._

_Keeping his head still to ward off the nausea that was sweeping through him, he took a few steadying breaths. The smell of antiseptic and bleach was thick in his nose and fear for the flock was a knot in his chest. Carefully, he started testing the restraints around his wrists and ankles. Little bits at a time he worked his wrists in different ways to search for weak spots._

_Soon he felt the weight of a familiar gaze on his face and he looked up to see Max watching him with dark bruises staining her pale skin. He couldn't stop the relief he felt at her revival from bleeding into his eyes. It was mirrored in her own._

_Her cracked lips shaped the far too often inquired "You okay?" She looked like she was going to lose her lunch at any second. He nodded once, his head spinning with the slight motion. She answered his silent question on the others with a short nod of her own and her gaze left his to wander around the room. He didn't stop straining against the restraints even as he watched her reactions play across her features._

_When her eyes opened wide in horror and she locked gazes with him again, the fear in hers made his blood run cold. He raised an eyebrow in question and she mouthed two words he had never hoped to consider again._

"The School."

Nick jerked awake, expecting to see bright lights and a sterile room of stainless steel and white linoleum. Instead, the familiar cracked ceiling of his own bedroom stretched over him, taunting him with its mundane familiarity. He was simply crazy. There was no School to go back to.

Rolling his head to the side, his atomic clock informed him that it was 9:15. He blinked hard and refocused on the date. It was nearly three days after he had stumbled home close to 5 in the morning after reuniting with the people that were his true family. He sat up quickly, his head screaming at him and his stomach turning in unpleasant flips.

Ignoring the pain in his head, he headed into the bathroom and stripped his clothes off with violent tugs. As he was reaching for the taps to turn on the shower he so desperately needed, he noticed a tiny hole in the back of his hand and faint traces of medical tape still sticking to his skin. He turned his arm over and saw another puncture in the crook of his arm.

Thankfully, the toilet seat was up as he whirled around and heaved up whatever was in his stomach. He sank to his knees on the cold tile and tried to quell the shaking of his body. He had no idea if it was due to rage or fear, but he didn't like it all the same. Sitting up suddenly, he spent nearly twenty minutes going over every inch of his body that he could see and reach, searching for signs of evil scientific experimentation. Finding nothing else, he flushed the toilet and climbed into the shower, turning the water as hot as it would go. Hissing as the water scalded his skin, he grabbed his soap and scrubbed himself all over to get rid of anything that might have been left behind from wherever he had gone. He hated that his thoughts felt thick and slow as he tried to remember what had happened. He hadn't found any marks other than those that looked like standard IV punctures, but he couldn't be sure of anything that had occurred over the last couple of days.

Standing still under the boiling hot spray, he let the water sluice over him as he tried his damnedest to remember even a bit of what had happened. Just like his actual memories, he got bits of scents or snippets of conversations, but they all faded away as soon as he tried to focus. He could smell coffee, but he didn't know where he had gotten it. He could hear the clink of metal on metal, but didn't know what it was. With a snarl, he slammed his hand against the tile in frustration.

Feeling as though he had cooked himself enough, Nick shut the water off and grabbed a towel from the rack. He wrapped it around his waist and moved through his apartment to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Even though there was quite a lot to consider, his thirst was quickly becoming the number one aggravation.

He pulled a glass from the cabinet and turned the tap on to fill it, gulping down the water eagerly as soon as it was full. Three glasses of water later and he finally turned the tap off and set the glass aside. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the counter and tried to quell the panic threatening to take him over. As he forced his brain into some semblance of order, there was the soft sound of metal scraping against metal at his front door and he crept over.

The soft click of his lock turning surprised him and he was thankful that the door opened toward the kitchen so that he could surprise whomever was trying to break into his apartment. The door knob turned silently and the door creaked softly as it swung open into the living room. Nick stayed just behind the edge, waiting for the intruder to show his face.

A hand slid past the door and then an arm, and Nick grabbed hold of the arm, jerking it and its owner forward and into a iron grip against his chest. His body recognized her before he did and the swift elbow to the side and leg hooked around his brought his mind around quick as Max threw her body to the side and took them both to the floor. He twisted as they fell, ensuring that he would land first and that his body would cushion her fall. He released his tight grip and just kept his hands on her to keep her close.

"Whoa, Max!" he managed before the impact forced a grunt from him. Her body instantly relaxed as his voice broke through her instinctive fighting mindset.

Max lifted her head from his chest and stared at him in shock. "What are you doing here?"

Nick raised an eyebrow, suddenly very aware of his current state of undress and the wonderful weight of her slight body pressing on him. "I do live here," he said.

Her lovely eyes were swimming with a thousand emotions as she stared at him and the hand she had put on his chest curled into a claw, her nails digging into his skin. "You've been gone for three days. I thought that they had - why aren't you wearing anything?" Her face went from worried rage to shock. She quickly scrambled off of him and turned her back.

He gave thanks to the gods that his towel had managed to stay around his hips and got to his feet with some very careful movements. "I just took a shower. What are you doing breaking into my apartment? You can turn around."

Max's composure was back, though he did notice that her cheeks were tinged pink and her eyes kept drifting down the length of his body as she faced him. "I couldn't get a hold of you and, considering our past experience… I-I thought they had taken you again." She took a deep breath and her usual attitude was back in place. "Clearly, I did not anticipate your presence."

He checked the towel around his waist again and inclined his head. "Clearly."

She pulled her gaze away from him and glanced around his living room and kitchen, her sharp eyes not missing a detail now that her concentration had returned. "So, where were you?"

"Not quite sure," Nick said honestly as he moved toward his bedroom, waving at her to come with him. "The last thing I remember is crashing after leaving your place. I feel like there's something more, a lot more, but I just can't-" He couldn't find the words to go on. The pounding in his head was increasing again and he sat down on the bed with his head in his hands.

Max sat next to him and hesitantly placed her hand on his shoulder. Soon after, he felt the soft pressure of her cheek and then her lips against his bare skin in the lightest touch. "I know."


End file.
